Long a subscriber to Word-A-Day, I’m borrowing a quote from them for this blog to begin the new year. “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture and, if it were possible, speak a few reasonable words. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (1749-1832)”

I’m not one to make resolutions since I know how fragile they are and how quickly I will break them. I do like to take time as the years make a cycle to look back and look forward. In the rearview mirror, 2014 was not unlike many of its brothers. It was a year with death of people I loved, a year of constant motion with interesting things to do, and a year of sharing good times with good friends and family, both virtually with modern technology and person to person.

Looking forward to 2015, I see a calendar filling already. Being too busy sometimes interferes with the little song, the good poem, the fine picture, and the words that need to be spoken – or written in my case. I think I’ll make a copy of the quote and put it above my computer as a reminder to take time daily for those things that feed my spirit.

The year ahead is an unrevealed promise. It will surely hold both good and bad, joy and sorrow – much of it beyond our control. My wish for each of my readers is that in the midst of it all, you will have days with little songs, good poems, fine pictures, and both spoken and written words that touch your heart and smooth your way.